Daughter of the Underworld
by Aiden Skywalker
Summary: When Anakin is sent to investigate the murder of a senator, he finds himself falling in love with his prime suspect. He is forced to make a choice: leave the Order, or loose the woman he loves. Will he make the right choice? Or will it be made for him?
1. Dear Reader:

Dear Reader,

I just wanted to make it very clear that what you are about to read is unlike most of what I write. I'm normally into fluff-like stories that make you feel all good and happy inside. However, this time I felt as though I needed to write a story that was uninhibited by what I think my readers want to read, and just write it the way I see it.

A lot of this story, especially in the beginning, is very inappropriate for those who get offended easily. There are a lot of blatant sexual themes and themes of violence. This is not because I feel like offending people, or because I am a disturbed person, it is simply to express how I really see the Underworld. It is supposed to be a terrible place, and I want to be able to express that.

This message isn't meant to turn you away, it is simply meant to make me feel as though I sufficiently warned you so that I don't get nasty messages about how they weren't expecting this.

**Disclaimer: Since you have clicked on a website called Fan-fiction, I'm going to assume you already know how ridiculous it sounds to think about yelling at me because I "stole" George Lucas' ideas.**

Thank you,

Aiden Skywalker


	2. Chapter 1

"The Underworld? 'Course I've heard of it. Who hasn't? It's hard to miss. Go down a kilometer or two and you're there. It's the true heart of Coruscant, ya know? I don't care what anyone says, if you want to appreciate Coruscant in all its pride and glory, you have to visit the Underworld. It's no vacation spot, that's for sure. The place is ridden with gangs and thugs but anyone with two eyes can see that. Best place to hide if you're running from the law since no one bothers to patrol down there. However I suppose there are a few perks to the place. If gambling is your thing, check out the Outlander Club, I'm sure you'll find a good game of sabaac down there. Death-sticks, prostitutes, drink; whatever you want, they have. You just have to know how to look for it. How do I know that? Because I'm a daughter of the Underworld."

- Padmé "The Angel" Amidala


	3. Chapter 2

It was a night not unlike any other. It was late, the club was full, and the men just kept coming. Padme Amidala had worked as a waitress at the Outlander since she could pass for an eighteen year old. Nobody cared how old you were as long as you knew what you were doing. When passing out drinks to men who always grabbed her ass got old, Padme decided that something needed to change. It was obvious why men lusted after her; she had chocolate brown eyes that could penetrate anyone's gaze; long brunette hair which fell to the small of her back in long, tied back, waves; a large chest with cleavage, accentuated by her plunging tops; and an ass that just begged to be touched. While most women felt as though such assets were a curse, Padme knew exactly how to make them work for her.

At the age of 18 she had decided to become a prostitute. She was already being felt up by all the men (and some women) who passed through the club. Why not put a price on it? Her boss thought it was an excellent idea and promptly added her to his harem. Along with 6 other girls, Padme worked whenever there was someone to pay, and with all of the senators and other rich beings from the surface (or other worlds) someone always had some cash to spend. And Padme wasn't cheap. The nice thing about having such a well-off clientele was that Padme was able to make the demands she wanted. At twenty-five hundred credits a pop, Padme liked to believe that she had it made.

That night, a senator from another world had been visiting Coruscant on a diplomatic venture when he decided to spend the night enjoying the Coruscant night life. After hearing about the Outlander from a friend, he decided to see someone in particular. His friend had told him about "The Angel" and his curiosity got the best of him. Next thing he knew, he was traveling down to the underworld.

"Can you please tell me where I might find the Outlander?" he had asked.

"Sure thing bud, two blocks straight ahead, then turn right. Keep going until you see the sign. It's hard to miss."

Doing as the man had directed, the young senator soon found himself standing in front of the biggest night club he had ever seen. The place had video screens everywhere. On each screen was a game playing from a different world. Passing a table of Sabaac, he thought to order a drink to help him wind down from a busy day at the senate. The noise around him was so loud that the club seemed like an impossible place to carry on a conversation, though he assumed that no one ever came to the Outlander just to talk.

After ordering some sort of local drink the bartender had suggested to him, the senator made his way over to one of the Twi'lek dancers that stood on the stage. "Excuse me, darling. But does the name "Angel" sound familiar to you?" The young blue Twi'lek must have been under eighteen, but she certainly knew how to use a pole. She held her body snugly to a metallic bar secured between the ceiling and the stage. It seemed to make her taller than she really was, but maybe it was just the stiletto heels. "Depends who's asking," she smiled almost too innocently as she spun around the pole with the greatest of ease. With her back facing him, she straddled the pole and bent her knees; sliding down low with displayed perfectly for his view.

Quickly pulling out a couple of credits, the senator tucked the change into her skimpy lingerie before she straightened herself back out. Now facing him again, she began to lazily twirl around the pole, her hands barely grasping the metallic cylinder. "I've heard of her. She works here most nights." The senator was growing impatient at the nonchalant and annoyingly brief answers the girl kept providing. He soon realized that every bit of information had a price. He dug more credits out of his pocket and slapped it onto the stage as she casually swung down to reach it. Sweeping up the money and tucking into her top, the girl smirked. "She's working tonight. But I have to warn you, you're not the only one who wants to see her. Talk to the big man behind the bar. He's the one you need to see." The girl went back to swaying her hips to the music as if the conversation had never taken place. With the information he needed, the senator made a beeline to the bar again.

A droid buzzed by him, quickly offering his drink with some excuse about being slow. Downing the drink in one shot, he walked straight up to the man and slammed his drink down on the counter. "Would you like another drink, sir?" The man seemed polite enough, but the senator had no time for pleasantries. "Where's Angel? I want to arrange a night with her."

"Well, you've certainly come to the right place. You're in luck. She just got done with her last client and she's free for the rest of the night. She's supposed to be getting off work right about now, but I'll make you a deal. Four-thousand credits and I'll get you in."

The senators jaw nearly dropped at this man's demands. He only had one last night on Coruscant and he was determined to sleep with "The Angel" before he left.

"Fuck you! I'll pay three-thousand. She can't be that good."

"I'm telling you man, she's done for the night. If you want to see her, you have to pay the price."

"Tell her that I'm a senator and I'll only be here for tonight."

The man let out a hearty laugh that brought red to the senators' face. He couldn't believe this pimp wasn't taking him seriously. "You wouldn't be the first one," the barman said, "that's for sure."

"Okay, one-thousand then if senators are as common as you say."

The man leaned over the bar and grinned before gloating, "Angel's slept with kings before, but I'll take the three-thousand."

Reaching for the earpiece used for communication amongst the employees, the barman muttered something into the built-in microphone before turning around. He seemed to be having some sort of a dispute before he whipped back around. Reaching out for the credits, the barman grinned as he received his payment. "Down the hallway. Room 5."


	4. Chapter 3

"In the Underworld there are two types of people: fighters and survivors. While most would believe that both terms are one in the same, the Underworld gives a new meaning to everything. Just because you're fighting doesn't mean you're surviving. And just because you are surviving doesn't mean you're fighting. Most of the time, those who have to fight to survive don't last very long for one simple reason: the weak don't last long in the underworld. The underworld is only good for those who steal from it and not everyone is cut out for a life of crime. Crime is a lot more difficult than it seems. It's not like the surface where crime is punishable by quarantine. Here, crime is punishable by death. There is never any room for mistakes.

There's no room for children either. Innocence and curiosity is scared out of you from the beginning. Anyone born in the underworld learns at a young age how to stay out of other people's business. If anyone catches you listening to a conversation not meant for your ears, or one notices you witnessing a scene not meant for your eyes, it's already too late to say you're sorry; even if you mean it. In the underworld there is no such thing as an accident; everything is done on purpose. Why else would someone waste their time on anything else? Survival is difficult enough without wasting your energy on something that doesn't concern you. Everything is on a need to know basis.

However, if anyone asks you where the best club is, everyone has the same answer. The Outlander is infamous for its sex, drugs and gambling. Only the illegal can be found here, and yet you'd be surprised at how hard these activities are to find. That is why you have to know the right people. Connections are everything in the underworld. Don't ever get caught without a good friend on your side. It's a simple concept really; stay out of trouble, always use the buddy system and do your best to stay alive. No one cares if you live or die down here."

- Nate Quinton "The Barman"


	5. Chapter 4

The senator started making his way down the hallway when he noticed how extremely quiet it was. The hallway was separated from the club by a single doorway that managed to block out all of the noise from the other patrons. The hallway itself wasn't very long, and yet it seemed to go on forever. He couldn't help but wonder what it was behind each one of the metal doors. Were they all inhabited by prostitutes or did the barman have a room as well? Were there women sleeping alone in those beds, or were they accompanied by men who had paid a similar price? There were so many questions which would remain unanswered.

When the senator reached room 5, he suddenly wondered how to go about this situation. He had never solicited a prostitute and the only ones he had ever seen stood on street corners and dressed in drag. His friend had insisted that this place was much different and well worth the cost. Just as he was about to raise his hand, the door swished open before he could knock. Before him stood a stunning sight; the woman in front of him was a knock out. Completely clad in leather and smelling of sweet perfume, the woman was far more than he had imagined. She smiled at him politely before opening the door further to allow him in. "You," she said in a sultry voice, "must be the senator."

"Why yes," he managed to stutter, "Yes I am."

"Come on in," she encouraged, "I don't bite… often."

A sudden chill ran down his spine as he entered the plush room. Decked out in various shades of red and a finish of black, the room looked very classy. It had a warm feeling to his, although the senator assumed that it was the texture of the furniture that had given off this vibe. Mostly leathers and dyed furs, the room was the definition of luxury. The woman named the Angel lead him over to the bed where she had him sit down. She reached over to an audio system that began to play a slow and smooth melody. Without pause, the Angel began to unzip her top in the front.

The senator's eyes began to follow her hand as it momentarily brushed her cleavage. "Do you have a gift for me?" she asked sweetly. Suddenly remembering the second fee his friend had told him about, the senator took out 1,000 credits and deposited them into her open palm. She tucked the money away into a chest that rested on her night stand. It was obviously locked and only accessible by a key that the Angel didn't seem to possess. She pushed the money in through a slot and went straight back to business. When he looked back up at her, she had a very deep intent in her gaze.

"You had a very good night, senator."

The hand that had once been caressing her chest was now being waved in front of him as if she was trying to perform some sort of magic trick. "Excuse me?" he asked.

"You had a very good night, tonight. You feel satisfied and plan to return on your next visit."

This woman must have been out of her mind.

"What are you talking about? You haven't even done anything yet."

"You are satisfied and want to leave," her voice was more persistent now. This only made the senator more frustrated.

"Look lady," he stood up to extenuate his point. "I paid good money to be here and I'm not going to leave until I get laid!"

Panic flashed in the Angels eyes before being quickly replaced by anger.

"You wish to leave."

Again with the hand; this woman just didn't seem to get it.

"Damn it you slut! I paid 2,000 credits to sleep with you! I'm not leaving until I get what I want!"

Padme made a quick dash for the door before the senator could stop her, but she wasn't fast enough. Blocking the door with his body, he grabbed her wrists with his hands and shoved her back towards the bed. Stumbling on her way back, Padme fell down against the bed, lying vulnerably on her back. The senator advanced and before she knew it, the man was on top of her. Quickly grabbing for the blaster she kept hidden under her bed, Padme kicked the man off of her and aimed the gun at his head.

"Sir, I don't want to hurt you," Padme said sternly.

She had never before needed to use this blaster, but that didn't mean she didn't know how. The man quickly drew a blaster of his own, but suddenly she pulled the trigger and with a single shot, the senator laid on her floor; dead. She quickly tossed her blaster aside in shock. Not because she had never killed someone before, but because she had never encountered a client immune to her mind tricks before.

Padme quickly communicated her boss and relayed the situation. Obviously leaving out the part about the failed mind trick, she explained that the senator had tried to rape her. Believing her completely, Nate told her that the body would be disposed of and advised her to forget this had ever happened. Nate had friends in dark places, so Padme knew that the situation would be dealt with quietly.


	6. Chapter 5

"and then Anakin will sleep with the courtesan."

Anakin Skywalker's head lifted at the sound of his name.

"What did you say?"

"Oh nothing, Anakin," his mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi said. "We're just discussing the mission is all."

Anakin and Obi-Wan stood in the center of the round council chamber of the Jedi Temple. Surrounded by their fellow colleagues, his gaze was met by several elders Anakin had grown to respect. Staring at his empty chair in the circle of council members, he had forgotten how much he hated being the center of attention.

"No, I'm pretty sure I heard Master Windu say something about me sleeping with a courtesan."

Mace Windu rested the side of his head on a closed fist leaning upon the arm of his chair. He sighed before lifting his head up to meet Anakin's gaze. "Well, if you'd care to join us, we're trying to formulate a plan to figure out what happened to the senator."

The color left Anakin's face as he immediately looked down. It wasn't his fault he had such a hard time paying attention at council meetings; they just never talked about anything of interest. It was always some big thought out plan that never seemed to play out the way they had hoped. The best plans, in his opinion, were the impromptu ones. Not to mention they added just the right amount of surprise to make the mission interesting. This time it was Anakin and Obi-Wan's job to figure out the disappearance of Senator Kurin from Naboo. He had been reported to have gone missing when he missed his flight back to his home planet. While it was something quite odd, Anakin had missed the part of the conversation where the prostitute came in.

"So why do I have to sleep with a courtesan?"

"Like we already said," Mace explained, "Senator Kurin's friend had told us that the senator had planned to go to the Outlander in search of a woman nick named "The Angel". After a little bit of research on our part, we came up with a Padme Amidala. A native Coruscanti, she has been working at the Outlander for several years as a waitress until she just recently became a courtesan. We aren't sure if the two met while he was here, but it seems like a good start."

"Fair enough," Obi-Wan agreed.

"Then unless there is anything else someone would like to say, the council is adjourned."

The rest of the council members glanced around the room, waiting for someone to comment on the situation at hand. When no one said anything, the members began to stand up and leave the room to go on with their day. Anakin and Obi-Wan continued to stand in the middle of the room as Obi-Wan shook his head. "You've been on the council for how many years? And you still can't pay attention worth your life."

"I try, Master."

The two young Jedi turned to walk out of the room before noticing a certain green council member standing near the doorway.

"Good luck, I wish you. A difficult mission this will be. Much ahead of you there is."

And with that he hobbled out of the room.

Anakin looked to Obi-Wan with a side-ways glance, "You know, I never understand what that troll is talking about."

"Maybe if you had the gift of forethought, you wouldn't be so confused all the time."

"Is it forethought? Or are you just giving me crap again," Anakin grinned.

Obi-Wan returned the expression, "Maybe a little bit of both."

The two Jedi walked out of the council chambers and headed to the archives to get the intel they needed. Upon arrival, they we're greeted by Jocasta Nu. The kind, elderly lady gave them a polite smile.

"Masters Skywalker and Kenobi, how good it is to see you again. I assume you are here for information about Senator Kurin's disappearance."

"You assume correctly Madame Nu," Obi-Wan smiled.

She walked over to a computer console and pressed some buttons before a data file came up about the senator.

"Senator Kurin is the current senator of Naboo. Born and raised in the capital of Theed, he rarely makes it off planet, the only exclusions being senate meetings here on Coruscant."

She looked up from the consol. "He arrived 3 days ago to partake in the new law designed to protect wildlife in a newly founded refugee on Naboo for endangered species. He was accompanied by only a few guards which remained back at his suite. His closest ally is Ariek, Senator of Onderon, who has reported suggesting to Kurin that it would be a good idea to check out the Outlander while on Coruscant."

Jocasta looked back down the screen and pressed a few more buttons opening up a data file showing a young woman with a smug look on her face.

"This is Padme Amidala, AKA, the Angel of the Outlander. We don't know much about her because she is local living in the Underworld. Senator Ariek reported that Kurin had been in search of Amidala. All we know is that she has been working at the Outlander as a courtesan under a barman named Nate Quinton."

Jocasta relocated her gaze to the two Masters while gesturing to the screen, "Feel free to review this information, however, unfortunately, there is nothing more I can give you."

With that, she bowed and headed off to help someone else. Sometimes Anakin thought she must be the busiest being in the Jedi Temple and didn't envy her position for a second. Obi-Wan was reviewing the information on the screen, occasionally pressing buttons to switch back and forth between the screens Jocasta had shown them already.

"I suggest that we investigate Senator Kurin's disappearance a little more closely. Let's make the preparations for a trip to the Underworld," Obi-Wan finally stated.

"Yes, Master."

And with that Anakin left to gather himself a very convincing disguise.


	7. Chapter 6

Authors Note:

After reading some of the reviews for the last chapters, it was brought to my attention that I have been a little non-specific about the time-line of this story. So, just to clear some things up, I've decided that this story takes place a little bit after the events of RotS, with some exceptions.

Since this story is AU, I figured it would be important to mention that: Padme and Anakin don't know each other yet, Qui-Gon is still alive, neither the Battle of Naboo or the Clone Wars happened, Obi-Wan and Anakin are both Jedi Masters and Anakin does not have a padawan in this story.

The only way I can explain the whole "Anakin is suddenly a Jedi Master" thing is that in my opinion, had Padme never screwed him up, and he had no influence from Palpatine, Anakin would have been a Master by that time, simply because of the whole Chosen One thing. Without all those crazy distractions, he would have been a lot more focused on his training. And since Qui-Gon didn't die, Obi-Wan would have been more properly trained, and therefore, it would be more likely that Anakin would have progressed so quickly. (Yes, I had to justify that in my head.)

As for ages, I'm going to estimate that Anakin is 25 and Padme is 30.

* * *

Anakin stood looking at himself in the reflection of the mirror hanging on the wall in his room. He turned just enough to catch a glimpse of his backside, then turned back to see the front again. With a scowl, he adjusted his tunic again before turning to look at Obi-Wan who was similarly dressed.

"Obi-Wan, this outfit makes me look ridiculous."

"Well, how do you think I feel?"

Obi-Wan was trying to adjust a head wrap that he found in the Jedi Temple's civilian clothing stock. The current attendant had insisted that it Obi-Wan look 'dashing', but now he wasn't so sure. The wrap just made him look ridiculous. At least all Anakin had to wear was a silk tunic and a simple pair of leather pants.

"What are we even trying to be? There's no way that anyone in the Underworld will buy that we're visiting senators. What kind of a senator dresses like this?" Anakin asked.

"A desperate one, apparently."

Anakin sighed before he finally stopped fidgeting.

"You're not helping," Anakin shot a mock glare at Obi-Wan before his friend smiled sheepishly.

"Fine, fine. You actually look very nice, Anakin."

"Are you sure?"

Obi-Wan could hear the anxiety in Anakin's voice. While Anakin had grown immensely in his 25 years of age, there was still a lot that he needed to learn.

"Relax, my old padawan," Obi-Wan smiled, "Trust in the Force. Everything will be okay."

"I know, Master, but I can't help but feel nervous about the mission."

Obi-Wan smirked, "Is it the woman?"

Anakin blushed. He had never slept with a woman before, and the thought of doing so with a courtesan made him feel extremely self conscious.

"What if I do something wrong, Master?"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "It's not like it's that hard."

Anakin was instantly shocked. Just when he had thought that he knew all of his old master's secrets, a new one arose.

"You mean you've partaken in sexual intercourse?"

"You make it sound so serious," Obi-Wan scoffed. "And it's not like you actually need to have sex with her, just make her believe you're interested."

"Interested in what?"

"Sex of course! Make her believe that you find her attractive and then once you're in her bed, complete the mission."

"But you just said I didn't need to have sex with her!"

If Obi-Wan wasn't imagining things, he could have sworn he saw panic in Anakin's eyes.

"No, no, no… I mean talk to her about Senator Kurin."

Immediate relief spread across Anakin's features.

Obi-Wan smiled at his apprentice. It was endearing to him that Anakin still reminded him of the young boy he had trained not so long ago. There were times that Obi-Wan wondered what the young man's life would have been like without the Jedi Temple. When he had found the Chosen One on Tatooine, Obi-Wan had been excited to see how this boy's life would turn out. The fact that he was able to witness the whole thing first hand made him prouder than any father in the galaxy. Being such a symbol for the Republic, Anakin had gone through many hard trials that made him the Master he was today. Although the young man had yet to take on a Padawan, Obi-Wan felt as though Anakin would be a great mentor one day.

If it weren't for his own master, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan felt as though he would have never been able to mentor Anakin as successfully as he did. Through each step of his life, Qui-Gon had been there to support him. Even to this day, Obi-Wan still went to his old master for advice, just as Anakin sought out solace in Obi-Wan. Soon the cycle would repeat itself and Obi-Wan would be able to watch his teachings being passed down to another. With each generation, young Jedi would be enriched with the knowledge of not only their master, but the masters before them. While Anakin had been quite adamant about not wanting to train a padawan yet, Obi-Wan felt as though Anakin had always been ready. His old apprentice just had that presence about him.

Except for right now as he paced the room with impatience.

"Are you almost ready, Master?"

"I'm just waiting on you," Obi-Wan smiled.

Anakin paused in confusion before shaking his head and leading the way out the door.

The Jedi Temple had managed to procure an expensive speeder for the two Jedi to use for their mission. The Council had decided that it would be best for the two to pose as two nobles visiting the Outlander to get away for the night. Dressed in their fancy regalia, it only seemed appropriate that the two would be in possession of a nice speeder. As they walked up to the vehicle in the Jedi Temple hangar bay, a wide grin spread across Anakin's face. Now Obi-Wan was the one consumed with anxiety. Anakin jumped into the speeder over the side of the door and plopped down in the driver's seat. With a quick visual scan of the controls, Anakin seemed to be content with his knowledge of the vehicle. That didn't surprise Obi-Wan because although he knew that Anakin had never been behind the controls of a speeder like this, he had seen Anakin's talent for machinery first hand.

"I trust that you know how to fly this thing?" Obi-Wan asked.

It wasn't that he questioned Anakin's ability, he just wanted verbal confirmation. Hopefully a confident response would allow Obi-Wan to relax his nerves. But as always, no matter how positive the response, a feeling of dread settled in Obi-Wan's stomach as Anakin started the ignition.

"Of course, Master. It's all just a matter of figuring out how fast I can fly this thing."


	8. Chapter 7

Anakin seemed perfectly at home behind the twin joysticks of the XJ-6 airspeeder. Racing through the Coruscant air-traffic, Obi-Wan held on tightly to the side of the speeder door as Anakin weaved in and out of traffic. Whatever nervousness Obi-Wan had been hiding before was now visible in his now whitened knuckles as his hand clamped onto the handle on the door. He liked to believe that Anakin was unaware of his discomfort, distracted by his enjoyment in going fast. But Obi-Wan knew better; Anakin liked to instill fear in his old master. Some things simply never changed. Obi-Wan also knew that it had been a bad idea to teach the boy how to drive, however Obi-Wan knew better. Anakin would have taught himself had Obi-Wan try to refuse him. And plus, the boy looked so happy. Obi-Wan could make a small sacrifice to bring his young friend joy; just as long as it wasn't at the expense of the older man's life.

Just when Obi-Wan thought he was going to lose his breakfast, Anakin slowed the speeder to a stop as he parked behind the Outlander. It was soon obvious that they were out of place. There wasn't much of a place to park and they were the only speeder there. Obi-Wan gave Anakin a look that the younger man could only shrug at. It seemed as though that a certain librarian had some explaining to do. No one had told them that speeders weren't the main source of transportation in the Underworld. However, considering the circumstances, the answer should have been obvious. The only people who ventured down here were rich people who were bored with the safety of their lives. The Underworld was reserved for those who wanted something to spice up their evenings. Not for the elite who thought better of themselves. No one in their right mind would drive a speeder down here, let alone leave it parked behind a club.

"Think of it this way," Anakin said as he hopped out of the driver's seat. "If it gets stolen, tagged, blown up, or otherwise destroyed, it's not ours."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "Such a comforting thought."

Anakin leaned up against the side of the speeder and crossed his arms over his chest. He bent his left knee and rested the sole of his boot on the speeder door in a stance that looked more relaxed than his aura felt. Obi-Wan could feel his anxiety rolling off him in waves. He decided to walk over to his friend and give him a nudge. Anakin looked up to his mentor with a gaze that seemed pitiful. Obi-Wan knew that gaze all too well and offered him a smile.

"Come on, we have a mission to complete."

Abandoning his stance, Anakin straightened up, adjusted his shirt one more time and followed his friend into the club.

Several eyes met their gaze as the two Jedi entered the club. Although it wasn't all at once, nor was it always direct, the eyes of the patrons seemed to follow Obi-Wan and Anakin as they began to scout out the area. Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan out of the corner of his eye and the slight shrug of his shoulders expressed to Anakin what he needed to know. Their movements were hardly visible to the other beings in the club, however, Anakin and Obi-Wan knew exactly what each motion meant.

Anakin tugged on his shirt twice. [Do you think it's the clothes?]

Obi-Wan looked to the left, to the right and then blinked twice. [No. But we do look like off-worlders.]

Responding with a grimace, Anakin walked over to the bar and ordered a drink.

Obi-Wan followed before raising an eyebrow. [Do you have any idea what it is that you just ordered?]

Anakin raised his eyebrows before knocking back his shot, "Nope." He smirked as he upended the glass and slammed it down on the counter.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened as Anakin rolled his eyes.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Obi-Wan asked out loud.

"No," Anakin responded, "I ordered off of the menu for humans. So I think I'll be okay."

"Then what do you think you're doing? Jedi don't drink…"

Anakin motioned to the barman for another shot. "I heard about it on the Holonet once. Males ingest alcohol in order to prepare themselves for mating rituals."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

The barman set out another drink on the counter. Less than a second after it was set down, Anakin picked it up. "Made sense to me. Bottoms up!"

And with that another glass was emptied.

After another shot, Anakin began to feel very much unlike himself.

"Obi-Wan, I don't feel so good."

They had settled themselves down at the bar and Obi-Wan had yet to order a drink. Anakin had been nursing a fourth drink for the past couple of minutes and Obi-Wan felt surprised that his friend hadn't started to feel tipsy sooner. If he was correct, which Obi-Wan almost always was, Anakin had never had a drink in his life before now and yet he seemed to be handling the alcohol pretty well.

"Well, then maybe you should stop," Obi-Wan suggested.

Anakin raised his glass before hesitating and setting it back down. "Maybe you're right."

"And maybe we should get back to the plan."

"Oh!" Anakin nearly shouted, "Yes! The plan!"

Obi-Wan looked around, noticing the attention that Anakin was drawing.

"Keep it down, will you? We didn't come here for you to get wasted and then leave."

"That's right!" Anakin exclaimed. Then he turned to the barman, "Excuse me, sir. But I am here in search of a certain Padme Amidala."

Nate looked at the young man with a nonchalant look that denied how he felt.

"I don't know anyone by that name."

And yet he did. But it wasn't the fact that this young man was trying to find her that surprised him, it was the fact that he knew her birth name. Nate was pretty sure that no one else knew Padme's real name other than her and himself. Padme was a very private woman who kept a lot of secrets. The only reason why Nate knew Padme's real name was because that is how she introduced herself to him when they first met. She was sixteen at the time and while she had obviously learned a lot from living on the streets as an orphan, she was still naïve enough to be using her real name. It was then that Nate had told her to come up with an alias to share with the world while only she and Nate knew who she really was. Since that day, she had been known as the Angel. However, this drunken young man had asked for Padme. This only made him wary of the man on the other side of the counter, but Nate couldn't let him know that.

Unfortunately for Nate, Anakin could sense his sense of surprise, so in order to distract him Anakin waved his hand under the counter.

"Tell us where the Angel is."

Unfortunately for Anakin, Nate was not susceptible to Jedi mind tricks.

"Look asshole, you're not going to get anywhere when you're demanding shit from people like that. Wanna try that again?"

Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan for advice who nonchalantly shrugged, providing no support what-so-ever. Looking back over to Nate, Anakin sighed and decided to re-word his question.

"Could you please tell me where I could find the Angel?"

"Now, that's better. But you're not walking away with any info for free."

"Sir, I just came to the Outlander with my buddy here to catch a night with the Angel. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated."

"Well, some credits would be greatly appreciated."

Anakin didn't know how to get around this guy. If Jedi mind tricks didn't work, and the barman wasn't a fan of pleasantries, then he had no other choice but to pay the price.

"Fine," Anakin offered, "How much to sleep with her?"

Nate smirked, "It's three-thousand to sleep with her, but I didn't say she was available. But since you seem to be a reasonable guy, I'll play nice. She's free for tonight. Pay the three-thousand up front, and you'll be scott free for the rest of the night."

One of the men walking by the bar stopped and slammed a glass mug on the counter.

"What? You told me she was five-thousand! You fucking bastard! You ripped me off!"

Nate reached under the table and pulled out a blaster. He raised it to the man's chest and flicked off the safety.

"You know, last time I checked, I was the one holding the blaster. Now, if you want to try and make a better deal, I could just shoot you now and take whatever money you have left. However, as it stands, it seems more beneficial to you if you get to keep your life."

The man looked as though he was about to protest until Nate fired at the mug sitting on the counter. The shot melted a hole through the glass and spilled all of its contents over the bar as the bolt continued into the man's leg. All of the other patrons froze as they heard the shot and the following yelp of the man. When they saw who was holding the blaster, some of the patrons went back to what they were doing, while the others slowly followed suit. The man hobbled over to the counter to support himself as Nate leveled the blaster between the man's eyes.

"You were saying?"

The man said nothing as he began to hobble himself along the bar and to the main door.

"That's what I thought," Nate grumbled under his breath. Then he turned back to Anakin and Obi-Wan who had witnessed the whole thing in hesitation, "About those three-thousand credits?"

Anakin kept his eyes momentarily locked on the blaster resting in Nate's hand.

"Sounds like a fair price to me," Anakin agreed.

Anakin knew that he was thinking the same thing that Obi-Wan was. Their hands had both grabbed for their lightsabers had the situation escalated. With his hand still resting on his lightsaber, Anakin reached into his pockets for the credits the Jedi Temple had supplied him with. He placed the credits on the counter and watched as Nate grabbed them and tucked them somewhere under the bar.

"Down the hallway. Room 5."


	9. Chapter 8

Author's Note: And now, the moment you have all been waiting for... Anakin and Padme finally meet each other! I've been reading the nice reviews everyone's been leaving for me and I have to say, I really enjoy them! Thanks for reading and continue to enjoy!

~ Aiden Skywalker

* * *

There were few things in life that intimidated Anakin Skywalker. And contrary to popular belief, women were one of those things. Giving one final glance at Obi-Wan, pleading with his eyes, hoping his friend would offer to go in his place; Anakin began his lonely walk over to the back rooms. The hallway reminded him of the Temple's infirmary; silent and sterile. He tried reaching out with his senses to see what was behind each of the doors he passed, but his attempts were met with emptiness. Even though he knew that there had to be something on the other side of those doors, there were no signs of life. Perhaps these were the rooms of the dancers out on stage. Whatever they were, these rooms were empty; except for the one near the end of the hallway. There was one sign of life and he could tell that this was the woman he was looking for. A woman, possibly in her twenties, was pacing the floor of her room. He could sense in her the same kind of anxiety he felt in himself. At least he wasn't alone. However, it seemed odd to him that a woman of her profession, and with her kind of experience, would feel nervous about a meeting such as this.

Anakin stood outside of the door way, waiting to be summoned by this mysterious woman. For all he knew, this could be her private residence, even if it was a dingy sort of place. It's not like he could really judge, anyone who chose this kind of a profession for themselves had to of been desperate. He couldn't understand what kind of self respecting woman would choose to whore herself out to men and yet he guessed that she didn't have much of a choice. Time seemed to pass slowly as he waited, and he wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe it was because he was incredibly uncomfortable with the idea of meeting with a woman, especially under this kind of circumstance. It's not like he had never had contact with women before, it's just that the women he was used to seeing tended to have on a lot more clothing than he assumed this woman was. Then again, he had never really thought of what a woman of this sort would be like because everything he had heard was just rumors. It seemed strangely awkward that he was so inexperienced, but he had never really thought about sex before.

"Well, no. That's a lie," he thought to himself.

When there were so many women around the Temple and they all seemed to play hard to get, it was very hard to contain one's self. Just when he thought that she would never come out, she opened the door and there he saw her. She had herself casually leaning up against the door frame and his eyes went straight to her chest. She was wearing a very attractive leather halter top. For that matter, everything she was wearing must have been leather. From the halter top to the leather boots, this woman seemed as though she was ready for some sort of tiff, not the sort of outfit he assumed that a mistress would wear. She smiled at Anakin with one of those tantalizing smiles he felt all the way down to his penis. It was hard to ignore the very obviously displayed cleavage and her even bigger breasts. Leather clad or not, this woman obviously had found her calling. But it wasn't until he met her eyes that he suddenly felt something that set every hair on his body stiff.

If he had been asked what her eye color had been, he wouldn't be able to remember because right at that moment he felt something he hadn't been expecting and by the look of panic in her eyes, he knew she felt it too. Or was that a look of panic? Now her eyes looked smoldering and he noticed they were brown. But that didn't hide what he had felt, and what had sent a chill down his spine. Padme was force-sensitive. His job was about to get a lot harder.

Suddenly, she grabbed him by his shirt and yanked him into her room before quickly slamming the door behind her.

"What do you want, Jedi?" she demanded.

Her voice distracted him for a second as he was brought back to the situation at hand. Her voice was rugged compared to the soft feminine scent she possessed. Against his better judgment, Anakin reached out to stroke her cheek and she quickly backed away from him.

"I came here to see the Angel. Isn't that what everyone wants?"

"Everyone wants to see the Angel, but everyone has a different reason. So I'll repeat myself, what do you want?"

The scowl on her face said it all. She wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, and if he didn't need a confession from her, he wouldn't even be here.

"Look, I don't want to be around you either. But I didn't pay to receive this kind of an attitude."

"Well sorry I seem a bit sour, but when a Jedi comes knocking on my door, I know it can't be good."

"What makes you think that I didn't come here to sleep with you?"

Padme glared at him as she set her arms akimbo.

Anakin raised his eyebrows, "Fine, all you had to do was say no. I'll just leave and tell Nate that I was very sorely disappointed with your performance."

"Who do you think he's going to believe? Some man dressed up as a senator, or his prized trophy?"

"Fine, I guess this just means that you're going to have to tell me."

Her eyebrow rose, "Nothing here is free."

"Are you sure? How do you think Nate would feel if he found out that his 'prize' was a murderer?"

Padme paused for a second and by the hesitancy he saw in her eyes, Anakin knew she was trying to choose her words wisely. Finally she spoke.

"Don't you think he would already know if what you said was true?"

Anakin sat down on her bed, "Perhaps, but my involvement in the Jedi Order might mind change his loyalty."

"The Jedi Order changes nothing!" Padme screamed. Anakin almost cringed at the hatred in her voice as she continued. "Where were the Jedi when my parents abandoned me in the streets while I slept? Where were the Jedi when I was beaten and raped just because I was a woman? I had to sell my body just to stay alive. Where were the Jedi then?"

There were so many things that Anakin wanted to say to comfort her, but he knew she would only spit his words back in his face. He could see the tears forming in her eyes before she turned away from his sight. There was so much pain rolling off of her that all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her tiny waist. The woman who had appeared to be so strong before was now so frail. Before he could stop himself, Anakin stood up and put his hand on her shoulder. Padme whipped around with a sneer, "Don't touch me!"

Somehow, her ferocity actually hurt him, "I only want to help."

"Like hell you do! Do you have any idea how many times I've heard _that_ line before?"

There was so much pain ripping through her that he could only imagine how many times she had been betrayed. Although he grew up in the Temple, Anakin was not ignorant of the difficult lives that civilians lead. His heart went out to each and every case he and Obi-Wan had. It was impossible to sleep at night knowing that you couldn't save them all. That there was never enough time. And it was almost always too late. It was the ones that he could save that made it worth waking up each morning. Because in his dreams, there was no one left behind. Anakin only wished that he could have saved Padme before her innocence had been taken from her. Now he knew that it was too late. Her hope had already been destroyed and there was nothing he could do to make her trust again.

Her voice made him lift his head, "If it wasn't for Nate, I'd still be in the streets. He gave me a chance, and that is more than you could ever give me." Padme took a seat upon the bed and glared up at him, "So if you don't mind, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Anakin knew that there was nothing more he could do. So he promised himself that he would have to return another night. He walked over to the door and rested his hand near the palm activator on the wall.

"As you wish, Milady."

And with that, he left her alone.


	10. Chapter 9

Authors Note: Hey, guys. Sorry about not updating sooner, I'm normally pretty good at that. I just started attending college two weeks ago and I feel completely outside of myself. I wanted to write this chapter, however it remained elusive until tonight. After listening to some music and letting my thoughts flow, I think I've come up with something halfway decent. Hope you guys enjoy!

~ Aiden Skywalker

* * *

The hallway seemed longer walking out than it had walking in. The first time, Anakin's heart had been racing, now it was just thudding with dread. How was he supposed to explain this situation to Obi-Wan? He decided to do it the easiest way possible.

"She's Force-Sensitive."

"Well, that certainly makes our job a lot harder."

Anakin had found Obi-Wan sitting in a corner booth by himself, nursing a Corellian Ale, which he had downed when his friend announced the news.

"That's what I thought. She could tell that I was a Jedi and refused to tell me anything. Master, I'm going to need more than one night."

"Anakin, you know just as well as I that we don't have more than one night. Look. Even if it takes all of this one, we have to do our best. You need to gain her trust."

"How am I supposed to do that? She won't trust anyone."

Obi-Wan looked up to him with a sense of curiosity, "What makes you say that?"

Sitting down to join his friend, Anakin sighed, "She basically started blaming me for everything bad that has happened in her life."

"Ouch. That couldn't have ended well."

The look Anakin shot him was enough to change the subject.

"So what's the game-plan?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't know! I didn't even begin to breach the subject of the senator's disappearance and she blew up on me. She obviously has some issues, who am I to try and fix them?"

"Well, we have to get answers from somewhere. And you saw how forthcoming the barman is. Unless you want this to get messy, you need to find some way to win her over."

Anakin crossed his arms on the table and laid his forehead down on top of them. He closed his eyes as he tried to think of some way to solve this problem. He couldn't use mind tricks on her, he wasn't about to threaten the information out of her, and he didn't know of a way to gain her trust. He was between a rock and a hard place and for the first time in his life he felt extremely lost. Women weren't problems that could be solved if you worked at them. If only this would be that simple. He only saw one option and he certainly didn't like it. However, it seemed as though he didn't have much of an option, he had to go back.

Anakin stood up from the table and looked to Obi-Wan one last time.

"Any parting advice?" he asked of his mentor.

"You make it sound like you're dying. You'll figure something out. You're a smart kid."

Anakin finished off his drink and grimaced as he forced himself to walk back to Padme's room.

Once he arrived at her door, she opened it before he could even knock. He could sense her frustration at his presence on the other side, and yet she decided to open the door.

"What do you want?" she scowled.

"I just wanted to talk…"

"What on Coruscant could you possibly want to talk about?"

"I wanted to apologize."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know it's not my fault directly, but I couldn't help but feeling guilty about your childhood."

Padme sighed and he could tell by the way she braced herself against the door that she wasn't about to move. Although there was a twitch of her lips that he just barely noticed. He wasn't sure what the expression was but her gaze distracted him even more. There was something probing about her glare. It wasn't the death glare he was expecting, yet rather a look that seemed to question his words; as if debating whether or not to trust him. Just when he thought that he had succeeded, she suddenly looked annoyed.

"Well, you should!"

She turned and nearly shut the door in his face before he suddenly placed his foot in the doorway. Quickly, Anakin moved to place his body between her and the door as he pried at the barrier between them. The safety sensors in the doorway allowed the door to open before it cleaved him in two. Padme went to activate the override button when Anakin gently reached his hand over and placed it over hers. She hesitated with his hand resting on her skin. Padme was used to men touching her, but he was different. Anakin left her hand tingling and wishing that she could see how the rest of his skin felt. Looking back to his eyes, she could see that he was sincere and not hungering for her body like everyone else. Like he actually cared. Her pause had been too much, by now he must have thought that she was losing her composure. The fire in her eyes quickly returned and she jerked her hand away from his.

"Move." She commanded as she reached for the override again.

He looked at her with a gaze that was only coaxing, "Give me a chance."

Oh, how she wanted to. But she couldn't afford to give anyone a chance. People only wanted her for her body. No one was honest and no one was worth trusting. If only he didn't seem so different. If only he didn't make her second guess herself. She wanted to let him comfort her, but she couldn't let him take the advantage. The only way she could ensure her safety was to keep him as far away as possible. And right now he was far too close for comfort. His body was so close that she could reach out and touch his face. Padme wanted to lay her hand on his cheek and let the stubble of his beard tickle her hand. She wanted to reach up and see if his wavy hair was really as soft as it appeared. And those lips… they looked so soft and supple. She could only imagine what he looked like naked. She shook her head as she realized what she was doing.

"No," she said. Mostly to herself, but he didn't need to know that.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked gently.

His question took her aback. Padme hadn't expected him to ask something so penetrating. She knew he couldn't read her mind, and she had a hard time believing that he was really that perceptive on his own.

"Nothing," she said confidently.

However he knew she was lying.

"Everyone's afraid of something. I'm afraid of failure. I'm afraid that when everyone expects me to be able to save the day that I will have to leave someone behind. Or that I won't get there in time. Not only do I fear failing myself, but I fear failing those who need me the most."

His honesty astounded her. He seemed as though he were opening his heart to her, why else would he be telling her such intimate thoughts? She wanted to say something snide in response, but only an honest question managed to come out.

"How do you deal with that?"

"I try to remember that I am only human and I do my best."

Her question came even more timidly this time, "Does that work?"

There was a pained look on his face that he didn't even try to conceal. His eyes looked tortured as if he had failed, more often than he would probably admit.

"Not always."

Silence fell between them as she struggled to fight the urge to reach out to him. He looked almost as pained as she felt and all she wanted to do was comfort him in the way she wished others could comfort her. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and apologize for the outburst she had earlier. She had wanted her words to hit home, but she hadn't expected to feel guilty about it. Against her better judgment, Padme stood aside to let him in. However Anakin seemed completely unaware of her presence. He seemed as though he was off in some other world and something about him seemed untouchable. Unreachable. Just when she thought that he would accept her offer, he turned from her and began to walk away.


	11. Chapter 10

Authors Note: I finally got around to editing the summary I wrote for this story, and while I still don't like it, I feel as though it's better than the old one. I've been trying to catch myself up on responding to reviews, and I hope that I don't miss anyone. Thank you all so very much for your kind reviews and I hope you all continue to enjoy this story!

~ Aiden Skywalker

* * *

Obi-Wan looked up to see Anakin join him in the booth again. Only this time, he seemed much more defeated. Except Obi-Wan knew him better, and although he wanted to ask what happened, the look on Anakin's face said it all. This wasn't defeat he was looking at; it was a sense of deep pain. And there were very few things that his old apprentice felt this strongly about. While he knew that he could guess what the young man was thinking, there would only be a matter of time before Anakin would choose to express himself. So Obi-Wan waited.

"I told her," Anakin finally exhaled.

"Told her what?" the older man prodded.

"My worst fear."

Obi-Wan leaned back and rested his arms akimbo on his chest. He took a deep breath as he constructed his words wisely. Finally, after a long pause, there was only one word that chose to come out.

"Why?"

"Because we see the world through each other's eyes."

A sad smile settled across Obi-Wan's lips as he silently understood. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a young woman exit from the back rooms and could tell by her aura that this was the woman Anakin was talking about. She was indeed Force-sensitive, but that wasn't what he noticed first. She was very solemn; an aura that very much matched that of his young companion. She seemed as though she was wandering, although he could tell that she was trying to sense Anakin's presence. The young man turned around to see her before returning his gaze to his mentor. Obi-Wan looked back at Anakin and shared a silent understanding as the older man left the table. Anakin now sat at the table alone until Padme approached him.

"Who was that?" she asked out of curiosity.

"My brother."

A look of confusion spread across her face, "Really?"

"He's the only brother I've ever known."

Padme smiled softly as she looked down, "I know how that is."

Silence fell between them again as Padme looked around as if she were expecting someone. Anakin caught her line of sight and noticed that there was a different being tending the bar. He suddenly understood as he realized that it must be against some sort of rule for her to be out here with patrons. Although she didn't seem too concerned with the current barman because she walked over to him and ordered something he didn't quite hear. She soon returned with two waters as she joined him at the booth. Even sitting across the table from her, he felt a strangely warm feeling emanating from her. Whether it was a Force-projection or her actual emotions, he welcomed it anyway. He normally didn't dwell on his emotions; however this time was different because Padme had personified his fears. She was a prime example of the people he left behind. Anakin knew he couldn't save everyone, but just seeing the effect the Jedi Order had on those who "aren't as important" made him feel sick to his stomach.

Padme seemed to sense his shame as she pushed the glass of water closer to him.

"Here," she offered, "you look like you need it."

"Thanks."

"Exactly how many drinks did you have before you came to see me?"

Anakin took notice of her playful smile as she tried to cheer him up.

"To be honest, I lost track after number five."

"You're definitely going to feel those in the morning."

He couldn't help but chuckle before taking a gulp of water.

"Yeah, well it was worth it."

Padme couldn't exactly place what he meant by that, but she assumed that he was talking about her. Although she knew better, Padme wanted to get to know this man better. He was unlike any of the other men she'd had the misfortune to meet and he brought her a profound sense of curiosity. She had heard many stories about the Jedi Knights and wondered if any of them were true. Some believed that they were gods, that they had amazing powers that allowed them to do anything, even resurrect the dead. Others said that the Jedi were bullies, beings that abused their powers and claimed to be using them against the greater evils of the universe. Although she had been born with Force-abilities, Padme didn't know the extent of those powers and wondered what it was like to have a life-times worth of training. There were so many things she wanted to ask him, and yet this certainly didn't seem like the time or the place.

"Do you want to go someplace else?"

Anakin looked confused, "Like where?"

"You couldn't possibly believe that I live here, do you?"

He shrugged, "What else was I supposed to assume?"

Padme frowned, "I suppose you're right. Well, the offer still stands."

She got up from her seat and headed for the entrance of the club.

Anakin wasn't really sure what to think. He had never been invited to a woman's house before and he didn't know what he was supposed to say. The mission still stood and he wasn't about to go back to the Temple until it was complete. He didn't have anywhere else to go, so he only had once choice. He took one last gulp of water before following her.

If he wasn't Force-sensitive, Anakin would have had an impossible time trying to find her. She had already disappeared into the crowd of pedestrians outside of the Outlander. However, she didn't realize how strong of a beacon she was. Padme glowed like the moon amongst the millions of tiny stars in the sky. Everyone had their own Force-signature, but only those who were born with a higher amount of midichlorians in their systems managed to stand out on a Jedi's radar. It was easy to tell who was Force-sensitive or not, and Anakin had often wondered what he looked like to others. Anakin quickly caught up with her and Padme slowed down her pace.

"Out of curiosity, how much further is your place?"

"Not far. Just down another block."

But then she hesitated.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Padme seemed nervous as she grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side and started leading them in the opposite direction.

"Nothing, I changed my mind."

Anakin stopped, "What do you mean?"

She seemed to grow impatient as he stood there waiting for a response. Padme began to survey the area as if she were looking for something. Suddenly, her hand grasped his arm again and she jerked him down an ally way and picked up the pace.

"We're going to go a different way."

Anakin frowned, "I can see that."

She shot him a nasty glare before he sensed what they were running from. Someone was chasing them and they did not seem to be very happy. Padme jerked them down another street and then took a sharp left. Anakin could tell that she knew the area very well because anyone else would have been lost by now. They had taken far too many turns to keep up with and finally they stopped behind what appeared to be a rundown apartment complex.

"I think we lost him," Padme sighed as she began to input a code in the security lock. She pulled him inside a hallway before shutting the door.

"Who?"

Padme bit her lip as if she were considering something before she responded, "No one. This way."

She continued to lead him down the hallway before stopping in front of a door. She keyed in another passcode as the locking mechanism released the door and they walked in to see the man who had been chasing them.

"Angel, you should know better than to run by now."


	12. Chapter 11

Authors Note: I'm going to go ahead and say how sorry I am that I haven't been updating as often as I used to. Long story short, I had a writing teacher I hated and he honestly took the passion I had out of my writing. Now that it is returning, I decided that I will make up my absence to you by giving you some Anakin/Padme romance/sexy-time (cause you all know you were waiting for it)! Hope you enjoy!

~ Aiden Skywalker

* * *

Padme hesitated in the doorway, hindering Anakin from entering her apartment. With a quick glance backwards, she could see that Anakin looked perfectly calm, and yet he had a sense of apprehension about him. It wasn't fear, but rather something fiercer. Looking back to the man, anger began to build in her as he kept his back turned to her. But she didn't need to see his face to know who it was.

The man turned around an Anakin instantly recognized him as the barman from the Outlander. His muscles tensing in anticipation, the Jedi in him wanted put himself between the barman and Padme to ensure her safety, but something about her broiling emotions told him to stand down. Suddenly confused by her reaction to a burly looking man appearing uninvited in her apartment, Anakin realized there must have been more to the scene that was set before him.

"Why are you here?" Padme demanded.

Nate began to slowly pace the main room. "I gave you a roof over your head, a job to keep you off the streets, and this is how you repay me? By bringing a Jedi home with you? Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"Nate," Padme began. She paused as Nate turned his back again and thrust his hand up in the air to stop her mid sentence.

"You of all people should know the risk of this situation."

"What if he can help? I'm tired of keeping secrets all the time!"

Nate suddenly turned around with his blaster aimed directly at her forehead. "If you knew what was good for you, you'd keep your damn mouth shut!"

Anakin's hand flew to his lightsaber and whipped it out as he pushed Padme aside. He thumbed the switch as the blade ignited and the snap hiss of his lightsaber echoed in the room.

Nate grinned as Padme grabbed onto Anakin's arm, "Anakin, stop. You don't want to do this."

"You should listen to her," Nate suggested. There was a smug look on his face that meant business.

It was all Anakin could do to keep himself from disarming Nate. In any other situation, the Jedi would have had the situation already under control and no one would be the wiser, but this situation was different. Padme seemed scared, but it wasn't for herself. For some reason Anakin couldn't understand, Padme appeared to be afraid for him than she was for herself. Nate kept his blaster leveled as if waiting for Anakin to make the first move. Anakin was torn. If what Nate said was true, there was nothing wrong here. Nate owned this place and had every right to be here. If Anakin made the first move, he would be unnecessarily putting everyone at risk. And most importantly, Anakin would be charged with battery and assault. He needed some way to diffuse the situation without bringing violence into the picture.

Padme's grip tightened on Anakin's forearm as if she were silently warning him.

"Please, just go."

Anakin turned his head to see the look of desperation in her eyes. Her emotions were conflicting and Anakin wasn't sure what she really wanted. Padme looked afraid, and Anakin couldn't just leave her alone. He deactivated his lightsaber and tucked it back on his belt, hoping that Nate would put away his weapon as well. Nate held his stance and didn't seem like he would be retreating any time soon.

Anakin looked back at Padme and sighed before turning his attention back to Nate.

"I have just as much right to be here as you do. She invited me to her home. I am not here unwanted."

The room remained silent as Nate seemed to be debating something. He looked at Anakin, and then to Padme. Finally, he returned his gaze to Anakin.

"I want to have a word with her. Alone."

Raising his hands in surrender, Anakin looked to Padme to make sure she would be okay. With a nod of confidence, Padme gave him permission to leave. Anakin stepped outside to wait in the hallway.

Nate lowered his blaster before holstering it on his side.

"What were you thinking? Do you have any idea how stupid you're being right now?" Nate demanded.

"I have nowhere else to turn! No matter what I do, they will find a way to convict me and send me off to jail. Or worse! What makes you think I'm any more safe keeping secrets than I am telling the truth? Maybe he can help me. If I…"

Anger consumed Nate as he glared at the floor in disgust.

"If you what? Sleep with him? Maybe if you charm him for a night and get him to be putty in your hands, maybe he'll help you? Is that what you're thinking? Because I can't imagine you had anything better in mind. You aren't worth much more than your body, what makes you think he'd be willing to help a whore like you?" he bellowed.

Padme stopped. Every come back she could think of fell flat on the floor as her dignity took a nose dive. Never in her life had Nate said anything so offensive. And while she had accepted her lot in life, to have it confirmed by the only one who seemed to care hit her in a way she never thought it could. She tried to justify her profession, telling herself that she needed the money and that she didn't sleep with just anyone. No, the Angel slept with only the rich and famous. Regardless of this fact, she still felt like shit. She may be the most wanted as a prostitute, but Padme knew deep down that she would never amount to anything more than that. She was filth in the eyes of the world and nothing would change either.

All the frustration that had built up in Nate dissipated the instant he saw Padme's face. She looked devastated at his words and he suddenly felt extremely terrible. He reached out to her as he wrapped his arms around Padme's shoulders. Embracing her gently, Nate did his best to comfort her. He knew better than to try and apologize, because he knew there was nothing he could say. Sobs began to shake Padme's body as he held her tighter against his chest. Kissing her forehead softly, Nate wanted so badly to take back what he had said. Calling her a whore was one of the worst things that he could have done since he knew how she felt about being a courtesan. He loved her like a daughter and wished dearly that he could have given her a better life. There were so many things he wished he could change for her, but Nate had done the best he could for her with what he had. While the choice to sell herself had been hers alone, Nate couldn't help but feel guilty for introducing her to this life. So he chose to do the only thing he could.

"Let him stay," Nate whispered into her ear.

Padme looked up to him with a confused look on her face.

"I don't understand."

"Let the Jedi stay, if you feel like it's the right thing to do, let him stay."

The compassionate look in Nate's eyes confirmed what he was staying. Padme knew that all he wanted was the best for her, and he was proving that fact to her now. While she knew that he didn't agree with her decision to bring the Jedi to her apartment, Nate seemed to be giving her permission to tell the Jedi the truth.

"Thank you" Padme spoke softly.

Nate gave her a half hearted smile before giving her one last hug. He left her standing alone as he walked to the door. As he opened it, he saw that Anakin was waiting patiently just outside her door with his hand resting on the hilt of his lightsaber. Nate noted the Jedi's hesitancy before resting his hand on Anakin's shoulder.

"Take care of her for me," Nate said as he squeezed gently.

Clapping Anakin on the shoulder twice to assert his comment, Nate then turned and walked down the hallway and out the side door. Anakin wasn't exactly sure how to respond since just a moment ago he was sure that the situation would have ended far more aggressively. Without putting too much thought into it, Anakin shook his head and headed to Padme's door. It had been left open with Nate's departure, and although he wasn't sure if the invitation still held him welcome, Anakin took his chances.

He walked in to see Padme standing near middle of the room, her shoulders were hunched over and she seemed to be holding herself gently. He had sensed a lot of hurt emotion emanating from the room while he had been standing outside, but he had no idea what had happened. She was obviously still very hurt, but Anakin had no idea what to do. So he asked the first thing that came to mind.

"Are you okay?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Anakin felt very stupid. What kind of a question was that? She obviously was very upset and for whatever reason, was probably very un-okay. As Anakin mentally chided himself, Padme seemed to ignore his question entirely. Maybe she hadn't heard. Or maybe she just didn't want to share. Whatever it was, Anakin couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with her being so upset. Since he had no idea what else to do, he wrapped his arms around her tentatively. Padme didn't react at all. She just stood there as he continued to hold her. Anakin tried to sense what was wrong, but he didn't get anything other than her visible pain. In attempt to get her attention, Anakin gently lifted her chin as he rested his thumb on her chin. Padme looked up at him with emptiness in her eyes as he noticed the tear stains on her cheeks. Her mascara had been ruined, but even so, she still managed to look beautiful. Anakin smiled as he used the sleeve of his tunic to wipe away the smudges on her face.

"You look beautiful, you know that?"

The same blank look remained as Anakin gazed into her eyes, "Just because everyone says it, doesn't mean it's true."

Anakin frowned, "Perhaps." Then a smile appeared on his lips, "but I always do my best to tell the truth."

Padme sighed, "If only everyone was as noble as you."

He grinned, "Well, I was a knight once."

Raising an eyebrow, Padme frowned, "You're not very funny."

A serious look settled on Anakin's face as he looked into her eyes. Without hesitation, Anakin's lips suddenly met hers with a confidence she wasn't expecting. His lips were soft as he kissed her tenderly. It was unlike any kiss she had ever had. Most men were demanding and impulsive and yet somehow, Anakin kissed her in a way that made her feel special, as if he actually cared about her. He pulled away slowly and the absence of his lips made her wish that he hadn't stopped. He pursed his lips as if thinking about something very seriously before he said, "At least I tried."

Padme wasn't very sure how to react. Anakin left her feeling as if she had been missing something her whole life; something that only he could offer. He left her wanting more. Padme closed the space between them as her lips captured his. Reaching her hands up to his head, Padme slid her hands into his hair. It was just as soft as she had imagined it back at the Outlander, but more. The smooth waves of his hair caressed her fingers as the kiss deepened. She obviously wasn't the only one feeling something because his arms wrapped around her so that his hands rested on her ass. Before she knew what she was doing, Padme began to tuck one of her hands up his tunic as she ran her hand up and down his chest. He was so muscular that she wondered how he could be so gentle. Her hands began to explore his body as she reached down to the front of his pants where he had a raging hard on.

Anakin gasped as Padme cupped his crotch in her hand, and before he knew it, she was pulling him into her bedroom.


	13. Chapter 12

Author's Note: Hey guys, I've been extremely busy and have had hardly any time to myself lately. But because I tend to feel bad when I don't write anything for a long time, I'm trying to be better about updating more frequently. While this chapter is kind of short, I wanted to get something out to you guys. I hope you enjoy it, and I promise the next chapter will be longer.

~ Aiden Skywalker

* * *

Padme shut the door behind her as she pushed Anakin into her room. Quickly returning to him, she recaptured his mouth with hers, feeling a hunger that Padme wasn't used to feeling around men. As she reveled in the taste of his mouth, Padme began to pull off Anakin's tunic. He was obviously not opposed to her action because he rapidly tugged it off the rest of the way for her. Anakin suddenly became frustrated because he realized that he had no idea how to get the leather contraption of a top off of the woman before him. Her cleavage was a very tempting preview of what he wanted to be exposed completely. As he started to lift her top from the bottom, Padme realized what he wanted and she gladly obliged. Her nimble fingers started to undo the corset in the back as Anakin waited impatiently. The moment her breasts were free, Anakin cupped one in his large, calloused hand as he began to play with the nipple. He pinched it softly as Padme began to whimper at the sensation. Then Anakin stopped long enough to sweep her up into his arms so that he could carry her to the bed.

Before he could go back to her breast again, Padme reached down to his pants . Grabbing his erection with one hand, she began to stroke it from the outside of his pants. He was ramrod stiff and if the pants that he wore weren't so forgiving, he would have been in pain. Deciding to be nice, she pulled down Anakin's pants to free his cock and the sight before her did not disappoint. She thought it had looked big inside his pants, but she was so very, very wrong. Padme accidentally paused long enough for Anakin to sense her distraction, and in that moment, she could also feel his sudden embarrassment.

"Is there something wrong?" Padme asked him.

Anakin's eyes focused on her lips as if he was trying to word his response carefully.

"I've never had sex before."

Anakin looked up at Padme as she began to laugh. He had never felt this self conscious before and he hadn't expected things to go this badly. When Padme sensed his shame, she suddenly stopped laughing and looked at him with a smile playing on her lips.

"I'm not meaning to make fun of you. I just find that very hard to believe coming from someone with a body like yours."

Red rushed over Anakin's cheeks as he fought to keep himself focused on a way to answer a statement like that.

"Jedi aren't supposed to have intimate relationships."

Padme laughed again, and this time the sound brought a smile to his face.

"You can't honestly expect me to believe that's what's stopped you all this time."

The now blank look on his face was enough to sober her.

"Oh," she said as disappointment filled her voice. "Well, I suppose if you're that dedicated to your cause, I'm not about to ruin that for you."

Padme grabbed her top as she lifted herself off of Anakin. It was his hand on her wrist that got her attention.

"I didn't do it for the Order. I never thought anyone was worth it until I met you."

Her body instantly reacted to the lust in his tone as he pulled her back on top of him. Rolling her over so that she was under him, Anakin's lips began to explore her body. He suckled her neck as her legs wrapped around his torso. Working his way down to her breast again, Anakin took her nipple between his lips and began to suckle her. His right hand buried in her hair, and his left caressing her thigh, Anakin soon became frustrated that he couldn't have more of her. He removed his hands from her body and placed them on the pillow near her head as he looked up into her eyes. There was a fire in her that matched his own and he wanted her to know exactly how much he felt about her. He didn't want to be like the other men that took advantage of her, and because he didn't know how to pleasure her himself, he did the second best thing he could do. In one swift move, he slid himself inside of her as they both moaned together. She was so wet and warm inside and all he wanted was more. He began to thrust into her as moans escaped from her lips.

Padme couldn't believe how good he felt inside her. Most of the men that she had sex with were rough and anything but gentle. Anakin didn't seem too concerned with taking things slow and easy for his first time, but Padme wasn't about to stop him. His sexual prowess was impressive for someone who just lost his virginity. His hands went back to her chest as he played with her nipples and his lips demanded her mouth to meet his. With how horny he had been just a moment before, Padme was surprised that he hadn't emptied his load already. It had been her experience that inexperienced men had problems with premature ejaculation. However Anakin just kept going. It was as if he couldn't get enough of her, and wasn't anywhere close to being done. Padme began to feel herself climbing towards her climax as Anakin continued to thrust. Just when Anakin thought that he couldn't take it anymore, he exploded inside of her with Padme's orgasm not far behind. As soon as she came, Anakin pulled out and lay down beside her.

"So, that's what I've been missing this whole time," Anakin breathed, "Had I known it was that good, I wouldn't have waited so long."

Padme rolled over as she rested on top of him, "Yes, but I'm glad you did."

She kissed him softly on the lips before laying her head down on his chest. Anakin's hand rested in her hair as his fingers played with the strands. Padme closed her eyes and listened to the beating of his heart as the rhythm lulled her to sleep. Anakin sighed as he looked down at the beautiful, naked woman lying asleep in his arms. He had never felt so at peace and it wasn't long before he joined her.


	14. Chapter 13

Author's Note: I feel like I'm constantly apologizing to you guys for my slow updates. Instead of doing that, I'm going to skip the regrets and let you move on to the good part! Enjoy!

* * *

Padme awoke to see Anakin sitting up in bed, staring off into deep space. He looked so handsome and yet so upset at the same time. Padme worried that it had been something about the night before and wanted to confront him about his thoughts. Maybe she was overreacting, but it was better to be safe than sorry. She reached out to stroke the side of his cheek as he turned his gaze to her with the side of his mouth turned up in a half smile. There was something sad about it which only made Padme worry more.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

He seemed to be thinking about his response very carefully because his eyebrows furrowed as his lips pursed. He was obviously hesitating to tell her how he really felt. She had hoped that after such an intimate act that they would be able to talk more honestly. But the reply he gave her wasn't what she had expected to her.

"Why did you kill him?"

Padme paused. She had no idea how to answer such a question, other than to tell the truth. It wasn't even asking her if she had done it, but rather he accused her of the act without question. And it was the way he had asked it that made her worry the most. He asked it as if he thought of her differently for it. And to her chagrin, he had every right. She had murdered someone and he had every right to judge her as a criminal. If only he hadn't reached her this way. She had trusted him enough to bring him into her home, into her bed, and into her heart. Now all Padme felt was a deep sense of dread as she realized that he probably wouldn't leave until she told him the truth. It all made sense. This was probably a part of his plan to get her to confess and unfortunately it worked. Suddenly Padme began to feel infuriated at not only him, but herself as well for falling so easily. Now she had nowhere to run. She was trapped.

"I didn't want to," Padme admitted. "Everything was just so wrong. He wanted to have sex with me and I didn't want to give myself to him. He had paid to use me however he pleased, and for once I stood up for myself. He didn't like it and forced himself on me. I did what I had to do, or he would have shot me first."

Anakin's eyebrow rose, "Then why didn't you tell the authorities that?"

"What authorities? Who the hell would I have told? I told the only person I could trust and I thought that everything was going to be okay. Even had I turned myself in, no one would believe that it was an act of self defense. No one would believe a Daughter of the Underworld."

"Maybe I believe you," Anakin offered.

"Maybe? I'm trying to tell you the truth here and you won't even give me the benefit of the doubt? Your just as bad as the rest of the scum you call authorities!"

"So, were back to the blaming game again, are we? When are you going to realize that I'm not like the rest of the people who have hurt you in the past?"

"When you get the fuck out of my house and leave me the fuck alone!" Padme got out of the bed and jabbed her finger at the doorway, "You know the way out."

Anakin simply raised an eyebrow again. "And what do you expect me to tell them, huh? That you confessed to the murder of Senator Kurin and give them the full rights to incarcerate you? Then what are you going to do? You'll need a damn good lawyer to get you out of that shit and I know you don't have the money or influence to get help like that."

Padme stared at him angrily. "So, you're blackmailing me now."

It wasn't a question.

"Look," Anakin sighed, "I'm just tired of your blaming game bullshit. If you could just accept the fact that I'm honestly trying to help you and get over your trust issues long enough to clear your name, you'd never have to see me again."

"Good!" Padme shouted irritably.

"Fine," Anakin concluded. "But you'll need to come with me to the Jedi Temple to give your statement."

"That wasn't part of the deal, asshole."

Anakin glared at her, "That was uncalled for. All you need to do is tell them what happened so that they can review the case and decide how to deal with it."

"And what if they find me guilty?"

"If you tell them the truth, that won't happen."

"And if it does?" Padme persisted.

"It won't," Anakin insisted.

There was a long pause of silence between them as Padme leaned in the doorway. Biting her lip out of insecurity, Padme finally pushed herself away from the door frame and meandered over to the bed. Anakin looked up at her as she sat down on the side of the bed, her back facing him.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"Because I have faith that everything will work out. The Force works in mysterious ways."

Padme looked down at the floor before closing her eyes.

_Then what are you going to tell them when they figure out that I'm Force sensitive? _

Anakin inhaled deeply as he heard Padme's voice in his head. Her force presence was so subtle compared to the Jedi he grew up around that he almost forgot that it was there. Perhaps that was what happened to those who tried to ignore it for so long. When the Force isn't properly channeled or connected to, it became harder to hear its call. While Padme was obviously capable of connecting to the minds of others, that was easy compared to everything else. Connecting to someone else's mind was like reaching out to them with the deepest part of your soul. All you had to do was open yourself to them and carry your thoughts across. This could be done effortlessly as long as both minds were open. It made Anakin nervous that he had created such a bond with her. Normally he blocked most people out, and yet he heard her when she was hardly trying. The kind of the connection she was able to create with him shouldn't be possible. This complicated things.

"I don't know."


	15. Chapter 14

Author's Note: This chapter needed to be written tonight, and I feel as though this may be one of my better written chapters so far. You guys deserve it.

* * *

How he had convinced her to get to think point, Padme had no idea. She found herself walking up the stairway to the Jedi Temple and all its glory. The statues seemed to watch her as she tentatively took each step. Anakin walked as though he walked this path every day, which he probably did. His steps were effortless as he held her hand and pulled her along. Padme felt as though she didn't belong here, this was the temple of the famous Jedi Knights and she did not feel worthy to step into their domain. She paused as they reached the last step before walking into the temple. Anakin felt the resistance against his hand as he tried to take another step. He was pulled back to where Padme stood in shock of it all. It hadn't occurred to him how hard it would be to make her follow him in to a place that very few people entered. This was where he had grown up, this was his home, and yet to Padme it was anything but. He took her face into the palms of his hands and tried to capture her gaze. She seemed transfixed on the site before her, but the strength of his hands brought her attention to him. There was a reassuring smile on his lips and his eyes looked at her with a comfort she tried to lose herself in.

"Everything is going to be okay," he whispered. "I promise."

She wanted to believe him so badly that she let him lead her one step forward. She felt a bit of her fear wash away as he squeezed her hand gently. They continued on their way as eyes watched them from every angle. Even Anakin seemed to be a little uneasy at the attention they were receiving, but he continued to stride forward with a confidence that he must have been faking. They both knew the truth; what they were doing was unheard of. A Jedi bringing in a civilian? Hand in hand? If she wasn't relying on his strength as much as she was, Padme would have dropped his hand out of embarrassment and thought nothing of it. If it weren't for Anakin standing by her side, she would still be back in the Underworld awaiting the day that the authorities finally caught her. But she didn't want that for herself and Anakin had promised to keep her safe.

She had no idea why she had decided to put so much faith into him. Everyone else she had ever trusted failed to return the favor. Why would he be anything different? And yet right now, in this moment, she knew. He loved her. Back at her apartment it had been a simple physical attraction. And yet she couldn't lie to herself anymore. He cared about her in a way no one else had ever bothered to. Right now he was choosing to sacrifice everything he had ever worked for in order to take care of her. He wanted to clear her name and he planned to hold her hand through every step of the way; even if it meant leaving the Jedi Order behind. Padme, more than anything else, wanted to show him that his efforts wouldn't go to waste. She wanted to prove to him that she was worth it. Because deep down, there was a part of her who loved him too. She was too afraid to admit how she felt to herself, let alone to Anakin, but she hoped that her actions would be enough to prove it. She was putting her future in his hands; an act that mimicked his own. If this didn't work out, they would both suffer for it, but at least they would suffer together.

In this moment, Padme had never been so nervous in her life, and she didn't feel any better as they stopped in front of their destination. She found herself in a hallway, still clinging to Anakin's hand, in front of a door that appeared to be some sort of living residence. Padme could sense that there was someone on the other side who had obviously recognized Anakin's presence. He didn't even have to knock. It wasn't until the presence reached for the door panel that Padme recognized the signature as the man Anakin had referred to as his brother. They were greeted by Obi-Wan who kindly ushered them inside.

"Does the counsel know you're here?" Obi-Wan asked Anakin.

"I didn't announce our arrival, but I'm pretty sure that word has reached them by now," Anakin admitted.

Obi-Wan finally noticed that they were still holding hands before he began to rub his forehead as if he were pained.

"What have you done?" Obi-Wan sighed.

"Obi-Wan," Anakin started, "I brought her to you because you are the closest thing I have to family. You are my father, my brother, my mentor, my friend. And right now I need your advice."

Padme was surprised by the way Anakin humbled himself before this man. It was a display of respect of likes she had never seen before. She felt slightly comforted by the fact that Anakin trusted this man as much as he did. It made her feel as though she could put her trust in him as well.

"Again I beg the question," Obi-Wan insisted. "What have you done?"

"She's not guilty. It was an act of self defense and I have brought her here so that she could testify in front of the counsel."

"Then why did you bring her to me?"

"Because I love her."

There was a very long moment of silence as Obi-Wan seemed to be debating something in his mind. Padme was worried that he would act violently and refuse to help them, but to her surprise he did nothing of the sort.

"You know the rule about attachment," Obi-Wan chided.

"Yes, Master," Anakin's use of the word confused Padme.

"Then you know what you must do."

The way that the two interacted went a long way to show Padme the complexity of their relationship. She found herself having a hard time trying to keep up.

"Yes, Master."

"Okay."

Had she heard correctly? Was that all he was going to say? Padme didn't understand what had gone on, but Anakin seemed to be considerably relieved. If she hadn't known any better, it was as if Anakin had been seeking his mentor's approval. Now that he had it, Anakin seemed to know exactly what he needed to do.


	16. Chapter 15

Author's Note: I noticed an overlook in my editing on chapter 13 that I fixed, but other than that, I've been plowing away at chapters tonight. I hope you guys are enjoying all these new chapters!

P.S.: Sorry this chapter is shorter than the others, but I needed to have it split up like this.

* * *

Anakin held his breath as he stood with Padme outside of the Council chambers. This was the moment that he had been dreading since he knew what he had to do. But he knew what he was doing was the right thing; he just hoped he wouldn't regret it. Padme stood next to him, her fear rolling off her in waves. He couldn't exactly blame her since he remembered having the same feelings the first time he met with the council. They were a very intimidating group when you weren't familiar with them, but as Anakin had spent time on the council, he grew to understand his colueges and in a way, had come to love them. They were all so wise and knowing that they were hard not to admire. Even with this in mind, Anakin couldn't help but to feel nervous because of what he knew he was about to do. He wanted to tell Padme, but he knew it was better if she didn't know. She would try to convince him not to, and he couldn't have her interfering with his plan.

He looked down to her as he squeezed her hand one last time, "_I need you to trust me, okay?"_

All Padme could do was manage a nod.

Just when he was starting to grow impatient, the council summoned them in.

Anakin led Padme into the round room filled with the senior members of the Jedi Order. The last time he was in this room, he never imagined that he would be returning like this. They walked into the middle of the room and stood so that the trial could begin. Anakin found himself staring at his empty chair next to where Obi-Wan was seated. Yoda's voice brought his attention back to the moment.

"Much fear, I sense in you young Skywalker."

"Yes, Master Yoda."

"Care to explain, do you?"

"With all due respect, Masters, I wish to wait until after the trial."

"As you wish," Yoda permitted, "You may be seated."

Anakin bowed as he gave Padme's hand one last squeeze as he felt her panic. He wished that he could stand by her side, but he had to respect his duties. He took his place in his chair and listened as Mace Windu began the trial.

Padme tried to focus as she watched Anakin from her spot in the middle of the room. She had no idea that he was a Jedi Master, let alone a member of the council. She suddenly realized what was going on before she could even think to stop it.

"Padme Amidala, Daughter of the Underworld," Windu began. "You have been convicted of the murder of Senator Kurin of Naboo. How do you plead?"

Padme gulped as she forced herself to respond, "Not guilty, Masters."

"All of the evidence shows that it was you who had shot the blaster that killed the senator and yet you still plead innocent?" Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

"Masters, I am guilty in killing him, but it was out of self defense, he threw himself upon me," Padme tried to choke out.

"Trust you, why should we?" Yoda asked.

Padme began to panic as she looked to Anakin for help, but he seemed just as unforgiving as the others. This was the moment of truth, she realized. It was all or nothing, so she did the only thing she could. She told the truth.

"Because I have absolutely nothing to lose."

Padme hung her head in defeat as she realized how true that statement was. Anakin wasn't coming to her rescue, and she had nowhere to run. She was stuck in a room full of force-sensitive's who could read her thoughts and had the last say in this trial. If they chose to convict her of murder, there was nothing she could do. So she simply gave up. She had put so much faith in Anakin that it destroyed her inside to think that he wasn't going to stand up for her. He simply sat there, and he wouldn't even look at her. Her glance darted around the room as she tried to find a single soul in the room who would feel sympathy for her. But no one gave her any bit of comfort. Tears began to tug at the corners of her eyes as she realized that there wasn't any hope left. She braced herself for the worst.

"Thank you for your statement, Miss Amidala. We must ask you to leave while we discuss the verdict," Windu stated as the doors opened and a young Jedi apprentice came to usher her out.

The tears began to slide down Padme's cheeks as she left the room as the council members decided her fate. The young Jedi led her to a seat where she curled up into a ball and started to cry. The young apprentice kneeled down in front of her and placed her hand on Padme's shoulder.

"It's okay, Miss. Everything is going to be okay," the padawan offered.

"No!" Padme shrieked. "It's not going to be okay! My life is over! I put my all of my trust in someone who ended up betraying me, and now I'm going to spend the rest of my life in jail!"

"The Force works in mysterious ways, Miss."

Padme cringed as she remembered Anakin telling her the same thing.

"Just leave me alone!" Padme cried.

The padawan's hand left her shoulder as the young Jedi gave her some space.


	17. Chapter 16

Author's Note: Hey guys, I finally figured out a way to continue this story in a way that made sense. I was struggling with the direction I wanted for this story and I think I finally found one. I'm curious to hear what you guys think of this chapter and how you feel about the direction of the plot. I really enjoy the input you guys have and I appreciate all the nice reviews. I hope you enjoy.

P.S.: Sorry about the poor editing in last chapter. It occurred to me that I spelled "colleagues" wrong in the first paragraph and managed to make myself look illiterate. I'll get around to fixing that at some point. Maybe.

* * *

Anakin stood as he was ordered to take his place in the center of the council room. It broke his heart to feel the waves of pain flowing from Padme outside, but he knew it wasn't his time yet. He had to brief the council on the mission he had been sent on when this all started. Anakin knew the council wouldn't be able to make an informed decision until they heard his side of the story. So he did his best to retell everything exactly as it had happened.

"The truth is Masters, I love her. I know she is innocent and as soon as she is free, I want to spend the rest of my life with her. As of right now, I would like to resign my position on the council and leave the Jedi Order permanently so that I may be with the woman I love."

Anakin couldn't believe what he was saying, but no truer words had ever escaped his lips.

Padme sat outside, curled up in a ball as she tried to understand how all of this had happened. One moment she was a courtesan for the Outlander, and the next she was sitting outside of the High Council chambers in the Jedi Temple. Her life had been completely turned upside down and she had nothing to grab on to. At this point, Padme just felt herself falling, waiting until she hit rock bottom. The padawan, who had taken up her place standing outside of the chamber doors, seemed focused on something. Padme tried to figure out what the apprentice was thinking with no avail. But the padawan was certainly thinking about something. She must have been aware of Padme's prying because the padawan looked directly at her and frowned.

"Do you have any idea what he's giving up for you?" the Padawan asked.

"I don't know what you mean."

The padawan looked incredulous. "Here you are feeling sorry for yourself when Master Skywalker is about to make the biggest decision of his life."

"I don't understand," Padme frowned.

"Of course you don't! How could you? Master Skywalker is one of the most promising Jedi the Order has ever seen. He was given the title of Master only 5 years after he was knighted, and was placed on the High Council shortly after that. In case you didn't know, that is completely unheard of. He has made leaps and bounds in his career and he is about to throw it all away just so that he can be with you. And you don't even care."

Padme's stomach dropped. Maybe this is what rock bottom felt like. She couldn't imagine feeling anything worse.

"I don't understand why we can't stay together and allow him to have his career at the same time."

"Because Jedi aren't allowed to love, it goes against the rule of attachment."

Padme paused for a second. "So you mean to tell me that right now, in this very moment, he is about to throw away his career?"

"Yes."

Padme jumped to her feet. "I have to stop him before it's too late!"

"Are you sure of this decision, young Skywalker?" Windu asked.

Anakin thought of what had happened over the past couple of days. It was such a short amount of time and yet he knew exactly how he felt about her. Padme had shown him a world that he never knew existed and opened his eyes to things he had never seen. She was a beacon of light in his life and he couldn't stand the thought of losing her. He knew exactly what he was giving up, and while his decision seemed impulsive, there wasn't any other way.

"I am more confident in this decision than I have ever been before."

"If that is how you feel, do you Obi-Wan, give him your blessings?"

Anakin looked to Obi-Wan even though he already knew what his response would be.

"Yes, I do."

Windu bowed his head before looking to the other council members.

"Then, as a leading member of the Jedi council…"

"Wait!" Padme shouted as she pushed the chamber doors open and stopped Windu in mid-sentence.

All eyes were upon Padme and yet she was completely unaware of their presence. She rushed over to Anakin and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"You can't do this. I refuse to let you leave the Order because of me."

"Padme," Anakin started, "I need to do this. I love you and I don't want to live without you."

The sincerity in his voice cut her deeply, he truly did love her, and it seemed as though there was nothing she could do to change his mind. While she so desperately wanted to say that she loved him back, Padme couldn't be the reason he left the Order. She just couldn't. Padme knew that he would regret it and she couldn't do that to him. So she did the only thing she could do. Forcing herself to bury all of the feelings that were coursing through her, Padme closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she willed herself to look him in the eyes.

"I don't want you."

The room went silent as Anakin struggled to breath.

"What?" Anakin barely managed to choke out.

"I don't want you, Anakin."

This time, her words almost sounded real. And in her mind, they started to feel it.

Padme now addressed the council as she turned to face them, "If the trial is over, I would like to be released now."

The lack of emotion in her voice was frightening. It was almost as if a droid had replaced her place in the room. Anakin searched her eyes, trying to find any hint of the lie he so desperately hoped she was telling. But there was nothing, absolutely nothing, and he couldn't believe that this was the same woman he had met the day before. And then it hit him. He couldn't believe that he had been so stupid. How could he have believed that he had found the woman of his dreams in one day? There was only one explanation. She was a courtesan; it was her job to make him love her. She must have used him to gain the influence of the council. It all made sense. Anakin couldn't even look at her as he heard Master Yoda speaking.

"Not-guilty, the council has found you. Free to leave when ready, you are."

"Thank you, Masters."

Padme didn't even bother to look back at Anakin before she walked out of the council chambers.

The eyes of the council now rested on Anakin who stood numb. He stood there for what felt like eternity as the council simply waited. Just when he thought he couldn't feel anything, he began to run after her. He heard Obi-Wan call out his name, but he ignored it as he chased her down to the main foyer. Several Jedi stopped to stare before continuing on their way as he pushed past people along the mezzanine. Finally catching up to Padme, he was able to grab a hold of her hand and pull her to a stop. Many of the Jedi in the Temple had turned their attention to the spectacle as a few crowded around. Obi-Wan soon joined the crowd as he pushed his way to the front.

"Anakin!" he called, trying to get the man's attention. But even though Obi-Wan was only a few feet away, Anakin didn't hear him.

"You can't leave!" Anakin yelled.

"What do you mean, I can't leave? I'm a free woman, Anakin, and I have every intention in acting that way."

"I won't let you!"

Padme hesitated. He sounded so heartbroken, and all she wanted to do was tell him that everything was going to be okay.

"Excuse me?" Padme asked, incredulous.

"I love you."

All Padme could do was stare as she forced herself to remain silent. She loved him too, but she couldn't tell him that. He tried to wrap his arms around her as she pulled away.

"Padme, please! I love you!" he cried.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called again as he tried to pull his friend back. "You need to let her go."

Padme just watched as Obi-Wan struggled to control Anakin who was still reaching out to her.

"Padme, you can't leave me!" Anakin continued to cry out.

She couldn't stand hearing him cry anymore. It was breaking her heart to hear the pain in his voice. She turned from him and walked out of the Temple as he continued to scream after her. Anakin sank to his knees as he shook his head in denial. She loved him; he knew that she loved him. Why was she doing this? This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. The crowd began to disperse and Jedi went back to their conversations. The show was over and they had lives to live. Obi-Wan helped his friend to his feet as he walked him back to Anakin's apartment in the Temple.


	18. Chapter 17

Author's Note: Hey, readers. I know that this is just a transitional chapter, but I hope you guys enjoy it nevertheless.

* * *

Obi-Wan waved his hand over the control panel outside of Anakin's door. While the apartments in the Jedi Temple had locking mechanisms on all of their doors, Jedi usually chose to leave them unlocked. While it was not unheard of for things to be stolen, it was a very rare occurrence. Obi-Wan was relieved when the door swished open because he knew Anakin wouldn't have come to the door if it had been locked. The scene that Obi-Wan walked into was exactly the same as it had been the last couple of times he had come to visit his old apprentice, plus or minus a few empty bottles of vodka. Kicking a few aside so that he could get through the doorway, Obi-Wan sighed as he found Anakin lying on the ground in his bedroom. The young man was muttering something to himself and staring up at the ceiling, seemingly unaware of Obi-Wan's presence.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan started, trying to get his attention.

Anakin started to prop himself up onto his elbows so that he could see his old mentor.

"Anakin, I know how depressed you've been lately, but this can't continue. This is the third day I have found you drunk when you were supposed to be completing a task for the council. When are you going to give it up?"

"You know, Obi, that is a very good question," Anakin said very pointedly.

Obi-Wan stood, waiting for Anakin to finish his sentence until Anakin started to lose focus. It became suddenly apparent to the man that his old apprentice wasn't in any sort of condition to be having a decent conversation. Because Obi-Wan wasn't sure how long the bottles around him had been laying there, it was practically impossible to tell how drunk his friend was. He sighed and began picking up the bottles off the floor and gathered them up for a recycling droid to come by. Once the evidence was gone, Obi-Wan searched the kitchenette to make sure that there wasn't any more alcohol hidden in the apartment that Anakin would reach for later. The best thing that Obi-Wan could do was wait until Anakin sobered up and try to talk to him again later. Until then, he decided to leave his friend to his misery and go take care of the tasks that Anakin had neglected.

Padme entered the Jedi Temple full of fear and apprehension. She could count a million reasons as to why she shouldn't be here, but the one reason she had for coming was more important. The Temple was just as intimidating as the last time she had been here, and because she didn't have Anakin at her side this time, she felt even more out of place. She had no idea where she needed to go and hoped that someone could lead her in the right direction. Just as she had eyed someone who looked approachable, a large man seemed to walk out of nowhere and blocked her path.

"May I help you?"

It didn't really sound like much of a question, more like a statement that was supposed to turn her away. As much as she wanted to turn and run in the opposite direction, there was something she needed to do. She couldn't let a man intimidate her and turn her away.

"I'm looking for an Anakin Skywalker."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but…" the man quickly cut her off.

"I'm going to have to ask that you leave."

If Padme didn't know any better, she would be sure that it was her boss Nate standing in front of her. He had the same no nonsense attitude. So she chose her words wisely and pretended as though it was Nate standing in front of her. He was about the same size.

"I need you to tell Anakin that Padme is looking for him. Tell him it's urgent."

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises, or I will be forced to remove you myself."

Okay, so this man was exactly like Nate…

"And I told you that I need to speak with Anakin."

Without warning, the man suddenly grabbed Padme by the shoulders and started to shove her towards the entrance. Padme tried to use her body against him as she relaxed and dropped her dead weight against the man, successfully giving him enough pause to free herself from his grasp. Just as he tried to grab her again, Padme bolted and found herself colliding with another person. Looking up, she was very relieved to discover that this was a face she recognized.

"Obi-Wan!"

"Padme?" Obi-Wan seemed to be very confused, and rightfully so. He hadn't expected her to come back and was surprised that she had made it past the guards. It was then that he saw one of the Temple guards standing right behind Padme with a not so amused look on his face.

"It's okay, I've got it from here."

The man looked skeptical but seemed to trust Obi-Wan. They exchanged something telepathically that Padme didn't catch and he went back to his post.

"What are you doing here?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I have something I need to tell Anakin."

Obi-Wan hesitated and there was a very grim look on his face. It took him a minute or two to finally come up with a response.

"Anakin isn't receiving visitors right now."

Padme quirked her eyebrow as she realized what Obi-Wan was trying to do. He was such a man of chivalry.

"I know that I am probably the last person he wants to see right now, but I wouldn't be here if this wasn't important. Please Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan sighed out of reluctance, "You can't say I didn't warn you."

Padme nodded and Obi-Wan turned to lead the way.

The sight that was laid before her made Padme frown. Obi-Wan seemed completely indifferent to the fact that Anakin was laying on the ground. If only she knew that the man had found his friend in this same exact position a few hours prior, then she would have understood why he seemed so nonchalant about the situation. Only this time, Anakin was singing some sappy love song completely off key. At first she thought that maybe he was tone deaf, but then she realized that he could only sound that awful if he was drunk. Or so she hoped.

"Do you have anywhere to stay for the night?" Obi-Wan asked her.

"Not really, no."

"If you want to take up on the bed, be my guest. I don't think he'll be using it any time soon."

"Thanks," was all she managed to say before he left her and Anakin alone.


	19. Chapter 18

Author's Note: Now that I am done with finals, and I am on Spring Break, I hope to be updating more often. I've been wanting to write this chapter for a while and it felt so good to be able to let it out. I really hope you enjoy.

- Aiden Skywalker

* * *

Anakin woke up with a massive headache, only to find that Padme was lying in his bed above him. He couldn't remember how many drinks he had had, but it must have been a lot because he couldn't remember how he had wound up on the floor. Before he could put much consideration into it, the sudden urge to throw up everything he had eaten since yesterday became very pressing. Anakin quickly jumped up and ran to the bathroom just in time to make it to the toilet. After everything was emptied from his stomach, Anakin slowly stood up and cleaned up after himself. Knowing that Padme was in the other room, and probably awake, the probability that he could sneak out without Padme noticing was very low. So, he decided that it would be best to get this done and over with and try to make it as least painful as possible. Willing his feet to move in the general direction of his bedroom, Anakin finally saw that Padme was still lying in his bed. He had seriously hoped that was just a figment of his imagination. However, there she was, lying in the same exact position he had left her. She was staring up at the ceiling absentmindedly so Anakin decided to return to his spot on the ground and do the same. There was a long silence before Anakin decided to speak.

"I was drunk."

There was a long pause.

"Yes."

"And you were here."

The same hesitation.

"Yes."

Anakin nodded to himself and kept his eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"I'm pregnant."

There was no tone in her voice.

"I'm a father."

It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

They continued to lay in silence for several minutes before they heard a knock on the door. Anakin could sense Obi-Wan's presence in the hallway and sighed before hoisting himself up into a sitting position. Then he forced himself to stand up and meandered over to let his friend in.

"Join the party," was all he said before returning to his spot on the floor.

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrow at the deadpan tone in his friend's voice as he followed Anakin into the room.

"So, how was last night?" Obi-Wan asked as he leaned against the far wall.

"I'm pregnant."

"I'm a father."

They both said matter of factly.

"Oh," was all Obi-Wan could manage to say.

They all sat there in silence until Obi-wan opened his mouth.

"The council is sending over someone later to keep Padme company while you and I go about our daily business."

Neither of them said anything.

"Anakin, we have matters to attend to."

No answer.

"Anakin!"

Finally Anakin sat up, said, "Okay, let's go," and then headed for the front door. The man hadn't even showered or anything, but Obi-Wan wasn't going to comment. Instead, he followed his old apprentice out the door and left Padme alone. It wasn't much later that Padme heard a knock on the door. She went to go answer it and found a young woman standing on the other side of the doorway.

"Hello," she said very politely, "my name is Barriss Offee and I am here to escort you throughout the Temple and assist you with whatever you need."

"Thanks."

Barriss moved aside and held out her arm, motioning for Padme to exit and followed after her. Padme didn't even try to pay attention as her Jedi escort pointed out the main areas to know. Barriss said something about a garden and a cafeteria, but that was all Padme remembered. Her mind was so numb that she couldn't make herself focus on the matter at hand. Barriss stopped after she had shown Padme everything and gave her an odd look.

"I want to show you something," Barriss said.

Padme simply followed behind her and while she should have been curious as to what this new thing might be, she really didn't care. Barriss lead her to a part of the Temple which she hadn't seen yet as they took several turns. Maybe Padme had been here before, there really was no way of telling since most parts of the Temple all looked the same and it was so large that one could easily get lost. They finally arrived to an area overlooking a very large room where Jedi were sparring. Padme recognized Anakin and Obi-Wan fighting against each other in an intense lightsaber battle. She had never seen two Jedi fight before, but she could tell based off of the other matches around them that is battle was far more aggressive than most. It was a fantastic sight that left Padme standing in awe.

As if Barriss could read her thoughts, she said, "Amazing, is it not?"

All Padme could do was nod.

"Do you see the way that he effortlessly deflects Obi-Wan's blows? Can you see the way it all comes so naturally? This is what Anakin was born to do, Padme. This is where he belongs. I know that you have feelings for him, but this is how his life is meant to be. You don't want to ruin that for him, do you?"

Padme's face scrunched up. So this was what this was about. The council sent Barriss to try and change her mind.

"I know what you're trying to do, but it won't work. I came here because I am pregnant with Anakin's child. You can't convince me that what I'm trying to do is wrong. He deserves to know and he deserves the chance to be in his child's life."

"I don't think you understand, ma'am. Anakin cannot be involved in this child's life. And if this child is force-sensitive, than neither can you. If your child is force-sensitive, than you need to release the child to the Jedi Temple and allow them to raise it."

Padme turned to face Barriss and glared at her, "And you need to stop telling me how to live my life. I am this child's mother and if I want to be in his or her life, than that is my choice, not yours!"

Without knowing where she was headed, Padme stormed off and left Barriss behind.


	20. Chapter 19

Author's Note: Today at work I had a revelation about the plot of this story and now I know exactly how I want it to end. I was a little bit hesitant about my other ideas, and then suddenly a new one hit me. I hope to be adding more chapters soon because we are nearing the end of our story. I hope you guy's have been enjoying it and I want to thank you all for the review's you have been leaving me. You guys are great!

P.S.: Just in case I didn't make this clear, Padme hasn't slept with any of her clients at the Outlander. Anakin is the only person she had slept with recently, so she has no doubt in her mind that it's his child and not anyone else.

* * *

Anakin finished up his sparring session with Obi-Wan and left to go find Padme. He ran into a padawan who explained to him what had transpired between Padme and Barriss and that she hadn't been seen since. No one was sent to go find her, but there were enough padawans serving as Council messengers that someone would have ran into her eventually. However, Anakin didn't need anyone's help finding her because he knew exactly where she went. Traversing the same hallways that he used to sneak around in as a padawan, Anakin headed to his favorite room in the Temple. There was only one being inside and she seemed very deep in thought. Anakin walked over to Padme and sat down next to her and stared up into the same synthetic starry sky. The Holomap Room that Padme had found was one of the smaller, more secluded rooms that provided Jedi with holographic maps of the galaxy. Most of these rooms were used for instruction or preparation for missions, but sometimes Jedi came just to silently admire the stars. One could spend their whole life admiring the projected images the way that one could do from space, but it was never the same. But for someone like Padme who had probably never been out of the city let alone out in space, the sight was amazing. Anakin used to spend his time as a Padawan dreaming of the day when he would see these places from inside a starfighter or transport ship. Whichever it was, he just wanted to see the stars up close. Suddenly Anakin yearned for the day that he could show Padme what he had seen. The idea brought a smile to his face.

Padme sat staring up at the stars feeling completely hopeless. The galaxy was so large, and there was so much beyond just her, and yet it seemed like it all threatened to crash down upon her before her days were over. It wasn't until Barriss had confronted her that Padme realized the true gravity of her situation. No matter what she chose, it felt as though she was stuck. Using the computer console remote she had found, Padme jumped from planet to planet throughout the galaxy, pausing on the exceptionally beautiful ones. She couldn't help but wonder how her life would have been different had she been born on one of the many planets she saw. Maybe she wouldn't have ended up in love with a Jedi and pregnant with his child. Or maybe everything would have happened exactly the same. Whatever it would have been, it seemed as though this path was inescapable. But there was nothing she could really do to change it. She was already in too far. Padme sighed as she continued to shuffle through the planets. She looked over to Anakin who had a smile on his face. Whatever could he have been thinking that would elicit such a response? He seemed so at peace with himself and Padme wished for just a taste of whatever he was feeling right now.

Anakin leaned over to look at Padme as the smile slowly faded from his lips.

"I heard your interaction with Master Offee didn't go well."

Padme couldn't help but scowl, "Why didn't you tell me that we'd have to give up our child?"

Anakin frowned, "That wasn't the direction that conversation was supposed to go."

"So you knew she had been sent to talk to me?"

"Of course I did. Being a member of the Jedi Council has its perks."

Padme threw him a deathly glare before looking back up to the stars while Anakin continued to glance at her.

"If what you said the day you left was true, then why are you here, Padme?"

"Because I lied."

Her response was so nonchalant, as if she felt no remorse for the pain she had caused him. However, he knew there had to have been something deeper.

"Why did you lie to me?" he prodded.

"I was just doing what I thought was best at the time."

"What might that have been?"

"I was trying to protect you," Padme admitted.

Anakin's face scrunched up as a frown appeared on his face again, "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard."

Padme wanted to hit him, how dare he judge her so quickly?

"If you're so much smarter, than tell me: What would you have done in my situation?"

"I would have let me leave the Order so we could put all of this behind us."

"And sacrifice everything you have accomplished? I couldn't ask you that. You know I couldn't ask you that."

"I don't need your permission to love you, Padme Amidala."

The tone in his voice was so commanding it was almost insulting. Before Padme had time to react, Anakin leaned over and captured her lips in a fervent kiss. She wanted to be angry at him, and yet his lips felt so good against hers. They were hot and demanding and her body couldn't help but respond. She had missed him so much it had killed her every day they were apart, and by the intensity of his kiss, Padme knew he had missed her just as much. She almost whimpered in protest as he started to pull away from her but the fire in his eyes swayed her otherwise.

"I want you, Padme. And there is nothing you can say to me that will change my mind. I'm going to talk to the council and when I am done, I will have you. Do you understand me?"

All Padme could do is nod. She had no idea where this sudden attitude had come from, but it only made her want him more. She wrapped her arms around him as he brought her into a fierce hug. She had never felt so loved in her life. He adored her so much that he was willing to give up everything for her without hesitation. It was as if she was flying amongst the stars over their heads and she prayed this feeling would never go away. Anakin broke off his embrace only to stand up and reach his hand out to her.

"Do you trust me?"

Padme looked up at Anakin, then down to his hand. After a brief moment of hesitation, Padme grabbed his hand and looked straight into his eyes.

"With every fiber of my being."


End file.
